The present invention relates generally to isolated nucleic acids and the classification of the same. The invention more particularly relates to a novel gene and novel nucleic acids related to asthma and other respiratory diseases and the classification and therapeutic and diagnostic uses of this gene.
Mouse chromosome 2 has been linked to a variety of disorders including airway hyperesponsiveness and obesity (DeSanctis et al., Nature Genetics, 11: 150-154 (1995)); (Nagle et al., Nature, 398: 148-152 (1999)). This region of the mouse genome is homologous to portions of human chromosome 20 including 20p13-p12. Although human chromosome 20p13-12p has been linked to a variety of genetic disorders including diabetes insipidus, neurohypophyseal, congenital endothelial dystrophy of cornea, insomnia, neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation 1 (Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome), fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, alagille syndrome, hydrometrocolpos (McKusick-Kaufman syndrome), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Gerstmann-Straussler disease (See National Center for Biotechnology Information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/omim/), the genes affecting these disorders have yet to be discovered. There is a need in the art for identifying specific genes for such disorders because they are also associated with obesity, lung disease, particularly, inflammatory lung disease phenotypes such as Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD), Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), and asthma. Identification and characterization of such genetic compositions will make possible the development of effective diagnostics and therapeutic means to treat lung related disorders.
This invention relates to Gene 216 located on chromosome 20p13-p12. Nucleic acids comprising all or a part of, or complementary fragments of Gene 216 and cDNA are described in various embodiments. Vectors and host cells containing the nucleic acids herein described are also included in this invention. These nucleic acids can be used in therapeutic applications for a multitude of diseases either through the overexpression of a recombinant nucleic acid comprising all or a portion of a Gene 216 gene, or by the use of these oligonucleotides and genes to modulate the expression of an endogenous gene or the activity of an endogenous gene product. Examples of therapeutic approaches include anti-sense inhibition of gene expression, gene therapy, monoclonal antibodies that specifically bind to the gene products, and the like. In vitro expression of the recombinant gene products can also be obtained.
Diagnostic methods are also described which utilize all or part of the nucleic acids of this invention. Such nucleic acids can be used, for example, as part of diagnostic methods to identify Gene 216 nucleic acids to screen for a predisposition to various genetic diseases. In addition, nucleic acids described herein can be used to identify chromosomal abnormalities within chromosomal regions 20p13-p12.
Further, this invention identifies various single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within several of the nucleic acids described herein. These polymorphisms also comprise changes to the polypeptides of the present invention. The SNPs, together with the wild-type alleles can be used to prepare specific probes for detection of various disease states in an individual. Thus, in one embodiment, this invention provides a method of detecting chromosome abnormalities on chromosome 20p13-p12.
Proteins, polypeptides, and peptides encoded by all or a part of the nucleic acids comprising Gene 216 are included in this invention. Such amino acid sequences are useful for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Further, antibodies can be raised against all or a part of these amino acid sequences for specific diagnostic and therapeutic methods requiring such antibodies. These antibodies can be polyclonal, monoclonal, or antibody fragments.
In a further embodiment, vectors and host cells containing vectors which comprise all or a portion of the nucleic acid sequences of this invention can be constructed for nucleic acid preparations, including anti-sense, and/or for expression of encoded proteins and polypeptides. Such host cells can be prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells.
Still another embodiment of the invention comprises a method of identifying a protein which is a candidate for being involved in asthma (a xe2x80x9ccandidate proteinxe2x80x9d). Candidate proteins are identified by a process comprising identifying a protein in a first individual having the asthma phenotype; (ii) identifying a protein in a second individual not having the asthma phenotype; comparing the protein of the first individual to the protein of the second individual, wherein (a) the protein that is present in the second individual but not the first individual is the candidate protein or (b) the protein that is present in a higher amount in the second individual than in the first individual is the candidate protein or (c) the protein that is present in a lower amount in the second individual than in the first individual is the candidate protein.
This invention also includes nonhuman transgenic animals containing one or more of the nucleic acids of this invention for screening and other purposes. Further, knockout nonhuman transgenic animals can be produced wherein one or more endogenous genes or portions of such genes corresponding to the nucleic acids of this invention are replaced by marker genes or are deleted.